Curiosities

Modern vampires have a particular look. They’re often dark, mysterious, and incredibly charming. But vampires haven’t always had this image: they were actually often described as bloated, corpse-like, and terrifying in older folklore. So, what made the image of vampires change...

Claim: The Australian government was reviewing a citizen-led petition asking to bar U.S. President Donald Trump, his family and his administration from entering the country in October 2025. Rating: In October 2025, a claim (archived) circulated online that the Australian government was...

<!--qv q:id=9o q:key=vcaa:Every Halloween, around 160 million people go trick-or-treating in the United States alone, giving kids and grown-ups alike the chance to show off their costumes and decorations to the neighborhood. -->Every Halloween, around 160 million people go trick-or-treating...

Many of the bones were discarded in canals or moats, suggesting they were seen as disposable and not revered as human remains.Sawada et al. 2025One of the skulls analyzed during the study has two perforations and appears to be...

Claim: An image authentically shows an official rendering of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned ballroom expansion dwarfing the White House. Rating: In the months after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to build a large ballroom at the White House in July...

<!--qv q:id=9o q:key=vcaa:Also known as “vampire power” or “standby power,” phantom energy refers to the electricity your devices consume even when they appear to be off—think TVs waiting for a remote signal, game consoles in sleep mode, set-top boxes...

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of America’s major defenders against foreign threats. The truth, however, is that we don’t always get to see much of the work that the agency does to protect the country. But, every once...

Though Kratos is best known today as the protagonist in the God of War video game series, the ancient legend surrounding the Greek deity is quite different.Wikimedia CommonsA mural of the Greek god Kratos at the University of Athens. There’s...

@MofaQatar_EN. "Qatar and Egypt Announce That They Have Received a Response from Hamas and the Palestinian Factions Regarding the Truce Proposal ." X (Formerly Twitter), 11 June 2024, x.com/MofaQatar_EN/status/1800599203174850910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1800599203174850910%7Ctwgr%5E95d7a7ef9eba2547c22ea931323c4b8079c82123%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2024%2F6%2F11%2Fhamas-and-pij-submit-response-to-un-backed-gaza-ceasefire-plan.@realDonaldTrump. "Hamas Has Been a Ruthless and Violent Threat, for Many...

<!--qv q:id=9o q:key=vcaa:Of the unusual guest requests received by employees of New York’s Hotel Bellclaire, dozens of pounds of raw meat ranked near the top. Nonetheless, the bellhop who was dutifully sent to field the order the afternoon of...